October 2021 Intelligence News

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Remarks on the Declassified Assessment on COVID-19 Origins Released by the US PRC MofA 31 Oct 2021 -- "When the US intelligence agency released the so-called unclassified summary of assessment on COVID-19 origins in August, China made clear its firm opposition. A lie repeated a thousand times is still a lie."
'Political and false': China rejects US intel report on COVID-19 origins Press TV 31 Oct 2021 -- Beijing has dismissed as "political and false" a US intelligence report into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, urging Washington to stop smearing China for political reasons.
Objective, scientific, responsible attitude should be adopted for COVID-19 origins tracing: Chinese FM People's Daily 31 Oct 2021 -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Saturday that an objective, scientific, and responsible attitude should be adopted for tracing the origins of COVID-19.
ODNI Releases Declassified Assessment on COVID-19 Origins Director of National Intelligence 29 Oct 2021 -- The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) today issued its declassified assessment on the origins of COVID-19.
DNI Releases Appropriated Budget Figure for 2021 National Intelligence Program Director of National Intelligence 27 Oct 2021 -- The Congress appropriated an aggregate amount of $60.8 billion to the National Intelligence Program (NIP) for Fiscal Year 2021.
Department of Defense Releases 2021 Military Intelligence Program Budget DoD 27 Oct 2021 -- The Department of Defense released today the Military Intelligence Program (MIP) appropriated top line budget for FY 2021. The total MIP budget, which included both the base budget and Overseas Contingency Operations appropriations, was $23.3 billion and is aligned to support the National Defense Strategy.
IARPA Announces Launch of SCISRS Program Director of National Intelligence 26 Oct 2021 -- The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, the research and development arm of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, announced today the start of a multi-year research effort aimed at developing smart radio techniques that can automatically detect and characterize radio frequency (RF) signals potentially associated with attempted data breaches.
Pakistan Prime Minister Appoints New Spymaster RFE/RL Gandhara 26 Oct 2021 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has appointed a new head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency after weeks of speculation about a rift between civil and military leadership on the issue.
British Court to Rule on US Extradition of Wikileaks' Julian Assange VOA 26 Oct 2021 -- A British court will consider this week whether Julian Assange, founder of the Wikileaks website, can be extradited to the United States on charges of hacking and theft. The two-day hearing is scheduled to begin Wednesday in London's high court.
Former Air War College Professor Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements About Relationship with Government Official in China US Dept. of Justice 25 Oct 2021 -- A civilian professor at the Air War College on Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, pleaded guilty to making false statements to a federal agent.
Ex-Giuliani associate Parnas found guilty of violating US campaign finance law Press TV 24 Oct 2021 -- Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani who gained close access to Donald Trump, has been convicted by a New York jury of charges that he illegally made campaign contributions to influence American politicians and advance his business interests.
Jury Finds Former Giuliani Associate Lev Parnas Guilty Of Violating U.S. Finance Law RFE/RL 23 Oct 2021 -- A U.S. jury on October 22 found Ukrainian-born U.S. citizen Lev Parnas, a onetime associate of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, guilty of violating campaign finance laws during the 2018 elections.
ODNI Releases National Intelligence Estimate on Climate Change Director of National Intelligence 21 Oct 2021 -- The Office of the Director of National Intelligence today released "Climate Change and International Responses Increasing Challenges to U.S. National Security Through 2040," the first NIE on climate change.
CIA to Have Weekly Meetings on China Following Launch of New Mission Center, Director Burns Says Sputnik 20 Oct 2021 -- The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) will hold weekly meetings on threats posed by China following the launch of the agency's new China mission center, CIA Director William Burns said in an interview at Stanford University on Wednesday.
US engineer, his wife, who tried to sell nuclear submarine secrets, could face life in prison Press TV 17 Oct 2021 -- Charged with attempts to sell secret data related to American nuclear submarines to an unnamed foreign entity, a US engineer and his wife could face life in prison.
Intelligence forces arrest 10 spies in southern Iran IRNA 12 Oct 2021 -- The Iranian Intelligence Ministry stated on Tuesday that the intelligence forces have detained 10 people linked to foreign intelligence services in Bushehr province, Iran.
Iran's security forces capture 10 spies linked to regional states in Bushehr Province Press TV 12 Oct 2021 -- Iran's security forces in the southern province of Bushehr have arrested a network of 10 agents linked to the intelligence services of some regional countries allied to Western powers.
Maryland Nuclear Engineer and Spouse Arrested on Espionage-Related Charges US Dept. of Justice 10 Oct 2021 -- Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, both of Annapolis, Maryland, were arrested in Jefferson County, West Virginia, by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) on Saturday, Oct. 9.
Biden Signs Law Helping 'Havana Syndrome' Victims VOA 08 Oct 2021 -- President Joe Biden on Friday signed legislation that will provide financial support to U.S. government employees believed to be suffering from the so-called Havana syndrome, mysterious health incidents that have affected American intelligence officers, diplomats and other personnel around the world.
CIA says China poses 'the most important geopolitical threat' to US Press TV 08 Oct 2021 -- The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has launched a new mission center to address what it calls "the most important geopolitical threat" posed by China, amid renewed tensions between Washington and Beijing.
US Spy Agency Pivots to Better Confront Beijing VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- The United States top spy agency is making changes in response to what it describes as an "an increasingly adversarial" government in Beijing.
CIA launches group on China, scraps Trump-era Iran center Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) says it has created a top-level working group on China as part of a broad US campaign focused on countering Beijing's growing influence across the Pacific and elsewhere in the world.
CIA Launches China Mission Centre to Confront Beijing Sputnik 07 Oct 2021 -- The media first reported on the US foreign intelligence agency's aspirations to launch a separate China-focused department back in August. Up to now, the People's Republic of China was a part of the agency's "Mission Centre for East Asia and Pacific."
NATO Chief Says Expulsions of Russian Diplomats Not Linked to Particular Event VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday the expulsion of eight members of the Russian Mission to the alliance was not the result of any one particular event, but due to an "increase in malign activity for some time."
NATO Expulsions of Russian Diplomats Will Likely Trigger Moscow Response VOA 07 Oct 2021 -- NATO is expelling eight Russian diplomats and plans to halve the size of Russia's observer mission to the Western alliance in response to alleged malign Russian espionage activities in Europe, which have included killings, attempted assassinations and explosions, say European officials.
NATO Chief Says Russian Expulsions Prompted By Moscow's 'Malign Activity' RFE/RL 07 Oct 2021 -- Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on October 7 that NATO decided to expel eight Russians accredited to the alliance in response to a surge in Moscow's "malign activities," as the Kremlin warned the decision undermined "almost completely" any hope for improving relations.
NATO expels 8 Russian diplomats over 'spying'; Moscow slams decision Press TV 07 Oct 2021 -- NATO has expelled eight Russian diplomats over espionage allegations, with Moscow lambasting the extraordinary decision for undermining efforts to normalize ties between the US-led military alliance and the Kremlin.
Bulgaria Detains One Russian, Two Lithuanians Over Alleged Espionage At Arms Maker RFE/RL 07 Oct 2021 -- Three foreign employees of Bulgaria's biggest weapons maker, Arsenal, have been detained on suspicion of exporting "sensitive information" about the company's manufacturing plant.
Pakistan Names New Spy Chief; Outgoing Head Takes Army Post VOA 06 Oct 2021 -- Pakistan has appointed Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum as the country's new spy chief.
NATO Halves Size Of Russia's Mission, Accuses Moscow Of 'Aggressive Actions' RFE/RL 06 Oct 2021 -- NATO has expelled eight members of Russia's mission to the alliance after they were revealed to belong to Moscow's intelligence services and cut the mission's size in half, a NATO official told RFE/RL.
NATO to Expel Eight Russian Diplomats Over Alleged Malign Activities Sputnik 06 Oct 2021 -- The decision comes just a day after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged the alliance to maintain relations with Russia to avoid another cold war or a new arms race.
NATO Expels Eight Members of Russia's Mission VOA 06 Oct 2021 -- NATO said Wednesday it expelled eight members of Russia's mission to the military alliance for allegedly working in secret as intelligence officers.
Pentagon asks US diplomatic staff to be on alert for Havana Syndrome Press TV 06 Oct 2021 -- The Pentagon has urged the US diplomatic staff all around the world to immediately evacuate their surrounds if they found symptoms related to the mysterious Havana Syndrome.
CIA admits informants captured, killed or compromised: NYT Press TV 06 Oct 2021 -- Top US counterintelligence officials warned that a concerning number of CIA informants were being captured and executed, according to The New York Times.
All DOD Personnel Now Receive Continuous Security Vetting DoD News 05 Oct 2021 -- The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has successfully enrolled all Defense Department service members, civilians and contractors with a security clearance — about 3.6 million people — in its current continuous vetting program.
Ambassadors Raise 'Grave Concerns' Over Alleged Spying In Georgia RFE/RL 04 Oct 2021 -- A group of ambassadors representing the diplomatic corps accredited to Georgia has raised "grave concerns" about reported wiretapping by the South Caucasus country's security services.
Ukraine Charges Former Official In Presidential Office With Spying RFE/RL 02 Oct 2021 -- A former official in the Ukrainian president's office has been accused of treason for allegedly passing on secret information to a foreign country, Ukraine's security agency said.
Lithuania Urges Users to Ditch Chinese Smartphone Over 'Built-In Censorship Tool' VOA 01 Oct 2021 -- A popular Chinese-manufactured phone has a built-in censorship tool that can blacklist search terms on the web, according to research by the Lithuanian government, which is urging owners of the phones to replace them.

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